


Set Yourself on Fire

by burntotears



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Barebacking, Biting, Dom Merlin, Dubious Consent, Hand Jobs, M/M, Porn With Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-17
Updated: 2010-02-17
Packaged: 2017-10-07 08:17:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burntotears/pseuds/burntotears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur happens upon Merlin after seven years and he's completely enchanted by him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Set Yourself on Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Er, this was actually supposed to have a plot, but then it turned into a giant pile of porn. If you squint this could be considered dub-con. Usage of magic during sex without actually saying so. Submissive Arthur, dominative Merlin and vice versa.
> 
> If anyone is interested in _exactly_ what spells Merlin used during all this, I've made a list of them [here](http://community.livejournal.com/burning_tales/16928.html?thread=117024#t117024).

Arthur's hands dug deeper into the pockets of his jeans as he tilted his head against the biting wind. Trust him to not put on a heavier coat than a hoodie just as the temperature decided that it was not quite cold enough so a drop of ten degrees was obviously in order. _Good show, London_, Arthur thought bitterly and thanked the stars he at least had a leather jacket he could zip up to his neck over his hooded sweatshirt. It didn't help much, but he was better off than the man he passed as he rounded the corner of pavement just then. He was clad in a dark gray hoodie and carried a beanie in his hands—not exactly helpful. He was tall and lanky framed with pale skin and huge ears that stuck out at odd angles from his head. _Wait a second—_

"Merlin?" Arthur turned and called toward the dark haired man who stopped at the sound of his name. "Merlin Emrys?" He turned to face Arthur and squinted in the dim street light at him, recognition not crossing his slender features. "It's Arthur. Arthur Pendragon from sixth form." Arthur gestured up and down his own body, as if that was supposed to help refresh the bloke's memory.

Merlin came closer to him and turned his head from right to left, eyeing Arthur like a zoo animal on display. After some moments he seemed to finally place the name and the face of his peer. "_Arthur_?" Merlin asked in obvious disbelief. "You look, er—"

"Interesting? Successful? Ruggedly handsome?" Arthur interjected unhelpfully. He was well aware that he looked nothing like he had in school, but sometimes he liked to try and forget those days of forced social interaction.

"—skinny," Merlin finished, not missing a beat. He did not quite hide the disgust that rippled through his features. He was probably remembering the days when Arthur treated him like a social leper.

Arthur took this in stride. He could not be surprised by such a reaction considering how much of a dickhead he'd been, but Merlin didn't have to be _quite_ so harsh, did he? "Thanks, mate," Arthur replied. "How are you?" he asked right after. It had been what—six, seven years since they'd seen each other last? It felt almost like another lifetime.

Merlin rubbed a (fingerless) gloved hand through his messy black hair and exhaled a long breath that clouded in front of his face. "I'm good, man, thanks. I was just heading to the pub to grab a pint. Do you want to come with? It's bloody freezing out here and we could catch up if you'd like."

Arthur was surprised by the invitation but delighted nonetheless and nodded in agreement. "Absolutely," he replied and followed the taller man in the direction he had been heading. Arthur had been going to the pub anyhow, hoping to pull a delicious specimen for the night and forget about it by morning. With any luck, his plan might still succeed.

They didn't talk again until they had settled into a booth inside the dingy little pub, not a very inviting place but also fairly deserted, which made it easier to make conversation, Arthur noted. Arthur bought them both a pint of lager and they peeled away some of their outerwear so they did not swelter in the heat of the smallish building. "So wow. It's been quite a while. What have you been up to?" Arthur asked, intrigued by the man that sat across from him but not wholly sure as to _why_ that was.

Merlin didn't look all that different than he had back then, surprisingly enough. Arthur had never given the bloke much thought before, but now that he really _looked_ at Merlin, the man was quite attractive. A light bit of stubble graced his cheeks, chin and upper lip; it made him look rather delicious, Arthur thought wryly. In school, Arthur had not spared Merlin a second glance but now he couldn't help but give the man his undivided attention. Had he really changed so much in seven years?

"I graduated uni a few years ago and am working for a publishing company now. I plan to become an editor myself, but for now I'm mostly fetching for other editors. It's bollocks, but I get to read some amazing works so it's worth it. What about you?"

Arthur drank from his glass, finding it a bit difficult to steal his eyes away from Merlin's startling blue ones. "Well, I went to fat camp, obviously," Arthur laughed, looking down at himself. Merlin gave him a strange look and Arthur shook his head. "Back then my dad was a bit too preoccupied with himself to really bother with me or my sister. When he finally came back to reality he was landed with me, the disgusting sod that spent all his time eating and playing video games and decided I would never be able to work for him in that state. He whipped me into a "man" in no time and here I am. Been working for his firm since we finished school."

"So you aren't a huge prat anymore?" Merlin asked with only a small smirk, the cheeky bastard.

"I no longer pay my mates to spend time with me, if that's what you mean. And I suppose I haven't shoved any heads in the toilet or lifted any skirts in a while. Well, not when the birds weren't willing," he finished, wagging his eyebrows suggestively at the paler man.

Merlin laughed then, which was nice to hear. At least he had a sense of humour and wasn't completely appalled by Arthur now as he certainly had been back then—with merit too, if Arthur recalled the things he and his so-called mates had done to Merlin even half correctly. "You were the greatest twat I'd ever met. Y'know, I never did get my Queen shirt back off that flagpole."

"But I think you looked very lovely in the girls' uniform that day. You had _class_, mate."

"Cheers. People always did think I had a knack for cross dressing." Seeing how feminine many of Merlin's features were, it was not so surprising.

"You were rather weird…and awkward, and clumsy. Didn't you plant your face in your own food tray once?"

Merlin shook his head and looked amused despite himself. "Yes well, my limbs didn't know the meaning of coordination back in those days."

"I'm sure that's all changed now," Arthur quipped smartly and Merlin gave him the finger. He hadn't removed those black fingerless gloves and Arthur really wanted a better look at those slender fingers that wrapped so elegantly around the pint glass.

The ease in which they fell into conversation and taking the piss was slightly extraordinary to Arthur, seeing as in school they were considered mortal enemies. Merlin had such a beautiful smile and his face was so slender and striking; those cheekbones almost dangerously sharp but intriguing nonetheless.

"Hey, I didn't mean to offend you earlier," Merlin was saying and Arthur had to exert a great amount of mental energy to stop studying Merlin's features and actually listen to what the man was saying. "You really are rather fit, mate."

Arthur quirked his eyebrows at that comment. Was Merlin trying to _pull_ him or just apologise? Arthur had to figure out which it was and fast because if Merlin was interested, Arthur was (obviously) _more_ than interested and couldn't let an opportunity like that slip past him. Arthur did not shag many men, but when he came across someone as captivating as Merlin, he couldn't refuse the stirring in his groin.

"Oh really?" Arthur finally managed to say. He watched Merlin's face flush and he ducked his head, taking a long swig of his beer. Arthur chuckled lowly in his throat. That was a good sign. "So that bird you always went round with—that dark one. Were you two dating?"

Merlin shook his head. "That's Gwen. We were just mates; still are, actually. She's brilliant. And I'm gay." The last part of that statement fell out of context with the rest, but it was something that Arthur was quite happy Merlin had decided to divulge.

Putting pieces of Merlin's actions and statements together, Arthur decided it wouldn't be entirely forward of him to ask, "Want to come back to mine?"

"Oh God yes," Merlin replied and Arthur found his enthusiasm to be quite refreshing.

Now that the desire was out in the open, however, it made keeping one's hands to oneself rather difficult. Arthur always had a hand on Merlin somehow, either holding onto his arm as they walked the pavement or pressed possessively at the small of the man's back when they stood together anxiously on the tube. Merlin kept shifting back and forth and it was only then that Arthur realised he was clad in a pair of entirely too tight trousers, making his arse stand out like a traffic signal. He had completed his edgy look with a pair of faded black converse and Arthur had never been keen on the fashion but on Merlin, it just _worked_.

It could not have taken them longer to get back to his flat, but eventually they had arrived. It had been years since Arthur had felt self conscious about his wealth, but seeing the wide set of Merlin's eyes as Arthur ushered him into the doorway of his flat brought back that childish feeling. Arthur waved around uselessly at the spacious apartment, trying to make it seem as though it were nothing special.

On the tube, Arthur had been picturing how he'd expected this to go and it started with throwing Merlin up against the back of his door and pressing against him with unabashed urgency, but now that they were there, Arthur felt _nervous_, of all the bloody things in the world. Merlin _looked_ nervous—still shifting back and forth like a loon—and it was as if the two of them were seventeen again and this was just utterly ridiculous.

Arthur shed his thin overcoat and yanked his hoodie over his head, only able to feel slightly smug at the way Merlin's eyes trailed to his exposed stomach before Arthur tugged his shirt back down. "Beer?" Arthur croaked (_fucking unbelievable!_) and Merlin only nodded, looking afraid to even make an attempt at speech.

The blond was delighted to escape the room and grabbed two beers from the refrigerator before bracing himself over the sink and staring at the dark window that reflected his face perfectly. "Really, Pendragon? _Really?_" he scolded himself quietly. Arthur wasn't a man whore by any means, but when he wanted to pull someone he could do it with ease and he never had any trouble pouring on the charm like a professional—so what the _hell_ was going on with him? He gave himself a mental slap and walked back into the living room, where Merlin stood in the same spot with his hat, gloves and hoodie still on. He must have felt entirely out of place there and Arthur wasn't sure there was anything he could do or say to make him comfortable.

"Here you are," Arthur said, handing him the bottle of Stella and Merlin smiled weakly at him.

"You're place. Wow." Very eloquent of him.

Arthur found himself chuckling softly and that seemed to quell his nerves a little. "My father picked it out, actually. I honestly don't care that much, but it is quite posh, yeah?"

Merlin smiled in response and this time it seemed more genuine. He nodded in agreement. "Just a little."

Arthur gestured to the sofa and sat down, waiting for Merlin to follow suit. He watched the stick-like man perch himself on the edge of the cushion, not at the other end of the seat but not very close to Arthur either. Merlin trained his gaze to the bottle between his gloved hands and Arthur was free to stare at the man's profile. "Merlin," Arthur said quietly and the pale man looked up at him.

"Hmm?"

"Are you nervous?"

"Er, yeah." the man admitted freely.

Arthur nodded but didn't say anything else. Minutes ticked past and they just looked at each other. Arthur decided to scoot down the cushions closer to Merlin stopping when his knee was brushing against Merlin's thigh. Then they commenced staring once more, breaking eye contact only to take a swig of their drinks. The awkwardness of the situation was beginning to irritate Arthur now, so if he didn't do something then they were just going to end up sitting there. And Arthur really, _really_ wanted to do something.

The blond set his beer on the table in front of them and then he took Merlin's bottle from his hands and set it down too. Without the bottle to clutch Merlin began to look frantic. Arthur tried to smile as warmly as he could and took each of Merlin's hands into his own. He began to rub his middle finger along the tender flesh of Merlin's right wrist, training his eyes to the other man's as he did. The dark haired man seemed to relax some, so Arthur rolled each glove from Merlin's hands, surprised to see just how long his fingers really were. Arthur set the gloves on the table and reached up to tug the beanie off Merlin's dark head. His hair splattered from beneath it like a caged animal finally freed and Arthur couldn't stop himself from running his fingers through the locks.

The beanie joined the gloves on the table and Arthur stopped, unsure if he should do what he wanted to next. He rested his hands at the hem of Merlin's hoodie and looked at him questioningly. He watched intently as Merlin swallowed slowly, adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat. Arthur licked his bottom lip unconsciously. Merlin finally nodded and sat rigidly as Arthur tugged up on the sweatshirt, trying not to rip off the man's shirt underneath as he did. Arthur added Merlin's hoodie to the pile on the table and then there was nothing else he could think to do, so he just sat there again.

It felt like hours passed them by in that uncomfortable silence, but there was a point in which Merlin shifted on the sofa and Arthur's eyes snapped to Merlin's crotch and then Merlin pounced on him like a cat.

He was all gangly limbs and pointy bones as he uncoordinatedly pushed Arthur onto his back on the sofa, thin lips accosting Arthur's mouth with cold enthusiasm. Merlin tangled his long fingers in Arthur's hair and Arthur felt himself grow hard from the gentle scratching those elegant fingers gave his scalp. Arthur wrapped his strong arms around Merlin's tiny waist, feeling unnaturally warm against the man's cooler skin.

The kiss started out wrong in every way possible. Their mouths were open too early, their tongues were licking over teeth and cheek and lips and it wasn't even _sexy_ in any way. Merlin's mouth was so much wider than Arthur could have imagined and he felt like the man was trying to inhale Arthur's mouth into his own. His knee was pressing painfully into Arthur's thigh and the only thing that felt right about this was Merlin's erection pressed against his leg.

The blond pushed against the lighter man, standing as best he could without knocking the rail thin body over. Merlin was casting him a worried look now and Arthur should have figured that that would happen but he wanted this to be comfortable for the both of them and so far it wasn't. When they were on their feet Arthur leaned up and captured Merlin's mouth again and this time the kiss was not quite so uncoordinated and therefore felt much better. Merlin, Arthur found out, was very good at surprising him and Arthur liked to pride himself on being unshockable. Not so anymore. Merlin had his palms pressed on Arthur's chest and he was pushing the blond backward roughly until Arthur collided ungracefully with the wall. Merlin continued to accost Arthur's mouth, fisting at the blond's t-shirt, which Arthur took as a sign that shirts should be removed. He moved to tug at the hem of Merlin's shirt and the man grabbed both of Arthur's wrists and thrust them against the wall above his head.

Arthur was completely taken aback. He had never had _anyone_ try something like that with him and he was not sure how he really felt about it. Merlin pulled back from the kiss and looked into Arthur's eyes with a dark, intense blue gaze and Arthur's reaction was a moan in the bottom of his throat. Ok, this was bloody fantastic, Arthur decided, and he leaned forward to capture Merlin's soft lips once more and felt a triumphant smirk against his mouth. _Cheeky, cheeky bastard_, Arthur thought and made his first attempt to free himself. It was a weak one, but Merlin responded with gusto, intertwining his fingers with Arthur's and pressing his body flush against the blond's so that their erections crashed together in a deliciously painful pleasure.

Despite his lead in the matter, Merlin groaned and Arthur felt him go weak-kneed. Merlin caught himself on Arthur's shoulders for support so he did not fall on his arse on the floor. He didn't falter, however, instead began licking and sucking at Arthur's neck and ear and Arthur's free arms wrapped around his waist as he leant his head to the side to provide more access. "Arthur," Merlin whispered huskily in his ear.

Arthur could do nothing but hmm in reply. Merlin pulled away from his neck and he felt himself whimper at the loss of heat. "Arthur," Merlin said again and held either side of Arthur's head so that he had no choice but to make himself focus on Merlin's face.

"What?" Arthur replied, trying desperately to lean forward and kiss those swollen lips again.

"Have you ever…" he heard the dark haired man begin, but he trailed off and Arthur began to smirk.

"Have I ever fucked a man?" he asked bluntly, knowing it was what Merlin wanted to ask.

Had he known it would affect Merlin in this way, he'd have spoken like that sooner. Merlin's eyes rolled back and he groaned ridiculously loud and pressed himself flush against Arthur's body again, thrusting his hips once, twice against Arthur's, eliciting a similar groan from the blond. "Yes," Arthur hissed and Merlin's wonderful mouth was upon his again.

Merlin pulled away too soon this time and he said, "Bed," simply and Arthur didn't need to be told twice to lead the way to the bedroom. When the room was located Merlin took control again and _fuck_ Arthur didn't think he would like that but he really, really did. Merlin plowed Arthur over on the bed, hovering above him and exploring his newly exposed chest. Wait, when had his shirt been removed? He couldn't remember but it didn't really matter now because Merlin was licking his skin and sucking his pert nipples and just how much experience did Merlin have with this, anyhow?

Straddling Arthur's waist, Merlin sat up and pulled his own shirt over his head and then he stilled, palming Arthur's smooth chest and staring down at him intensely. "Arthur, I'm going to…" he began to say, but once again Merlin trailed off and Arthur began to realise that Merlin could _do_ all this but he couldn't _say_ it. The reality of it was just too hilarious to Arthur, but he did not feel like laughing, he only felt like saying what he had before that had seemingly spurred Merlin's libido into overdrive.

"Going to what, Merlin?" Arthur asked teasingly, resting a hand on either side of Merlin's pale, slender hips and rubbing at the impossibly smooth skin he felt there. Oh God, this was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen—how had he not noticed this all those years ago? Arthur reached for the button of Merlin's trousers and found his hand tossed aside by the other man. Arthur grinned, used his hands to push himself up as close as he could get to Merlin's ear and said, "Are you going to _fuck_ me, Merlin? Is that what you want to do?"

And oh yes, it had the effect Arthur was hoping for. Actually no, it had an even _better_ effect than he had hoped for. Arthur could swear he saw Merlin's eyes change colours—they looked as though they had flashed a hue of golden brown—for an instant before he felt a sudden rippling of delicious ecstasy flow through his body and he could do nothing but fall back against the mattress. He didn't know what Merlin had done, but he wanted him to do it again. Merlin scrambled off of Arthur and as Arthur stared at his ceiling, he heard shoes flying and buttons popping and by the time he looked in Merlin's direction again, the both of them were completely starkers and Arthur's breath left him entirely.

He sat up and just stared at Merlin standing naked in front of him, the most beautiful expanse of milky cream skin as flawless as Arthur had ever seen. If he wasn't sloshed already, he was fairly certain that he just got drunk from the sight of Merlin's body displayed before him. He was so busy looking that he had not realised that Merlin had been doing the same and Arthur couldn't believe it. He was entirely enamoured by his former school mate, someone he had thought was utterly idiotic and now…now he wanted to shag this man so hard that he could no longer remember his own name.

"Turn over," Merlin spoke finally and Arthur groaned. He'd heard those same words spoken in this very bed before, always from his own lips but now it was as if he had been doing it wrong all along. This is all he had ever wanted and he hadn't even had a clue.

Arthur did as he was beckoned, lying on his stomach with his cock twisted painfully beneath him. The bed dipped at his feet and then he could feel the heat radiating from Merlin's body above him and he wondered just when he'd gone from feeling so cool to so bloody warm. Merlin leaned over him and began kissing along Arthur's spine, licking and nipping at random intervals until he was just above the curve of Arthur's arse. His hand snaked under Arthur's stomach and tugged the blond up on his knees and all he could do was comply. The anticipation of what Merlin might do was driving him mad with want and when he felt those slender fingers wrap around his cock he bucked into Merlin's hand instantly, moaning the man's name into his own duvet.

He pumped Arthur only twice and pressed his chest firmly to Arthur's back until his mouth was on the blond's ear. He sucked on Arthur's earlobe and then began, "Where's the—"

As if he could read this bloke's mind, Arthur was already finishing, "Bedside table," knowing without a doubt what Merlin was asking after. He didn't move an inch as Merlin left him alone on the bed; he didn't even look up. He had never submitted to someone like this before and in some ways he was not sure if it was his personal desires he had not previously known or some sort of trance. He couldn't bring himself to care either way.

Arthur felt Merlin on the bed again and he tried to listen to gain some clue as to what Merlin was doing but for some reason the man didn't make any noises—how was that even _possible_? But then all thought was ripped from Arthur's mind in an instant as a cool, slender finger pressed inside of him without warning. Arthur's body reacted of its own accord, pushing back on the finger in an attempt to get it to reach the spot he knew would make him forget himself. Merlin's free arm wrapped around Arthur's waist then and he realised that Merlin planned to hold him still as he fucked the blond with his beautiful fingers. The pale man withdrew his finger only to press it in once more, twisting and angling and crooking like a snake and discovering sensational spots within Arthur that he hadn't known existed.

And then Merlin's finger brushed against _it_ and Arthur's brain dissolved into nothingness. He cried out—it sounded as if he were in pain but he wasn't, oh he definitely was _not_—"_Fuck me!_" and suddenly the finger had disappeared and he heard the dark haired man hiss in response and he bit down on Arthur's shoulder _hard_. In that flash of excitement he had completely forgotten that Merlin went batshit crazy when Arthur said 'fuck' and just as he was going to say it again purposefully, Merlin was _inside_ him as though he had just _appeared_ there magically.

Arthur cried out again, this time he _was_ in pain, but he felt equally elated by the wonderful feeling of Merlin filling him to the brim. Merlin held one arm firmly around Arthur's waist and he was flush against Arthur's back again, inside of Arthur's hole to the very base of his cock, leaning over Arthur and breathing heavily into his ear and _not moving at all_. Arthur dared enough to turn his head and Merlin met him halfway, a sloppy and wet brush of lip against lip. It occurred to Arthur that Merlin was giving him the chance to stretch and felt equally turned on and endeared by the non-action. Merlin's arm went lax on his waist only to allow his hand to wrap around Arthur's length and he began pumping it, keeping his own body completely still and silently daring Arthur to make the slightest buck of the hips—he didn't, he _couldn't_.

When minutes had ticked by, Merlin's hand slipped away from Arthur's cock and he leaned into Arthur's ear. "Say it," Arthur heard, but he felt no breath on his ear; it was as if Merlin hadn't actually spoken aloud at all. Arthur couldn't bring himself to say anything and Merlin's arm tightened around his waist and the pale man bit his shoulder again. "Say it," Merlin repeated and this time Arthur felt the heat from the other man's mouth brush his sweating skin.

"Fuck me," Arthur managed, but it came out stilted and uncertain. Arthur took a deep breath and spoke again, this time in a voice that was unwavering and almost challenging, "_Fuck me, Merlin_," and Arthur felt the strangest sensation. The warmth of Merlin's cock now felt unseemly _cool_ inside of him, as though it was rapidly cooling down, but that was impossible. The inanity of it left Arthur's mind as Merlin began to thrust into him. The man pulled back so far that only the head of his penis remained inside of Arthur's hole and the blond whimpered when the feeling of being filled had disappeared, only to moan in ecstasy as Merlin's cool cock slammed back into him and pressed firmly against his prostate.

Eventually the dark haired man found a rhythm that suited him and he grunted into Arthur's shoulder, sometimes planting a messy kiss against his skin. Arthur's face was pressed at an uncomfortable angle into the duvet beneath him, his mouth hanging open; he'd lost the ability to swallow so the material beneath his cheek was soaked with sweat and spit and he couldn't bring himself to care and why should he? He was being fucked as thoroughly as he had hoped for.

Arthur felt a shiver run through his body—a result of the coolness of Merlin's cock inside of him or a pleasure overtaking him, he was not certain. Whatever it was, his arse tightened reflexively around Merlin's length and for the first time since this had all begun, Merlin murmured, "_Arthur_," in such a resigned manner that Arthur suddenly remembered just who the hell this was that he was shagging. It was Merlin: the bloke who had been so nervous he couldn't even _speak_ to him not half an hour earlier, who couldn't even say the word _fuck_ out loud and _this_ was the man who had made Arthur capitulate all of his free will without a second's thought. How the bloody fuck had this happened?

Arthur was going to take control of this situation while he still had some shred of dignity left. He braced himself on his forearms, not pleased with the pain that ached through his neck from the ridiculous way he'd been pressing against the mattress. Ignoring that, he set his focus on Merlin above him and Merlin _inside_ him. Just _thinking_ about it made him want to abdicate control all over again but he steeled his resolve and began creating his own cadence, pushing back against Merlin's cock and then pulling away from it, successfully derailing the pale man's rhythm. Merlin spluttered against Arthur's back and it was as though Arthur could hear his mind make an attempt at anger but fail to voice it. Ascendancy flooded through the blond and he lifted himself onto all fours, feeling Merlin's grip on his waist falter at the movement.

An absurd smirk was gracing the blond's face as he wrapped his hand around Merlin's and pressed the slender digits around his aching erection, forcing Merlin's hand to pump his cock slowly. It was difficult to focus on thrusting against Merlin and trying to get the man to rub him the way he liked best, but he'd be damned if he failed now. Arthur turned his head to peer behind him and said, "Use both hands," and Merlin obliged without hesitance. Arthur released the other man's hand and balanced his weight equally between both his arms while Merlin pumped a closed fist over Arthur's length and cupped and coddled his balls with the other hand. Merlin ran the smooth pad of his thumb over the head of Arthur's cock, teasing the slit that was soaking with cum from the sensation.

The blond focused on thrusting back against Merlin, angling his hips until _oh yes_. When he found the right crook it was only a matter of slamming himself repeatedly back against Merlin and calling out in satisfaction from the delightful feel of the cool erection pressing against his sweetest of spots. Stars began to dance in front of his eyes and he knew he would not last much longer at this rate, but he had to have _one_ more thing go his way to make this venture truly fulfilling.

"Come with me, Merlin," Arthur said assertively and the dark haired man groaned in reply; he could feel Merlin nodding his head against his back and he squeezed Arthur's length inside of his fist. Arthur's pace began to quicken and he balled both hands into fists; he had to exert all his strength to remain upright because his approaching orgasm was weakening his resolve. He felt the sensation begin in his toes and slash its way through him in an upward stroke, rippling from calves to thighs to stomach to neck until the passion expelled from his mouth in a string of nonsensical obscenities and mingled moaning. When he tightened around Merlin's cock, he felt the cool length burn fire hot inside of him and Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's stomach and screamed out, "_OhGodArthur!_" impossibly loud as he bucked helplessly against Arthur's arse. When Arthur thought he could feel the brink of his climax in the very hairs of his head, the fevoured rapture built insurmountably at the base of his cock and forced itself up, up, up until it erupted from the head in a massive flame of torrid desire.

All of his limbs began to shake violently beneath him and he could no longer bear his own weight, much less that of Merlin's too. He collapsed unceremoniously against the duvet, Merlin still clutching him around the stomach like a frightened child. Arthur was gasping for air as though he'd just submerged from under water having almost drowned. His chest heaved and his limbs still shook and he could only faintly feel a similar reaction from the other man above him.

They lay thus for what could have been hours until Merlin finally gained enough composure to pull out of Arthur and collapse next to him. He leaned over and kissed Arthur's shoulder where he'd bitten him previously and Arthur instinctively smiled in response. He turned his head so he could gaze lazily at the man next to him, whose mirrored blue irises seemed to dance merrily around jet-black pupils. A wide grin began to break across Arthur's face and soon he was laughing, completely erratic. Merlin was not affronted in the least; he joined in the joviality with gusto until they were breathless once more from laughter.

After some time Merlin opened his mouth and all he could say was, "Erm," and then blushed like a schoolgirl.

Arthur nodded as if that had said it all.  
When they had dressed and vacated the bedroom for the living room, neither of them had really said anything coherent since before they'd had sex. The silence was now weighing down the atmosphere immensely and it was obvious they were both grasping at words that would not take form no matter how they forced them. To distract themselves they kissed sweetly and exchanged mobile numbers and drank tea and snogged some more until it was obvious that Merlin had to leave. He lingered in the doorway, Arthur's hand resting warmly on his bony hip, Merlin picking subconsciously at the threads of his gloves.

"So," Arthur ventured finally, but he lost his nerve at the last minute and Merlin grinned at him.

"I'm quite certain I've never seen you speechless, Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur laughed. "I'm fairly certain I've never _been_ speechless before, Merlin Emrys."

"Well…you'll ring me?" Merlin asked and Arthur could hear the hope and the uncertainty waver through the man's voice.

Arthur released a long breath and simply replied, "Yes."

-fin-


End file.
